- We must question the values of such democracies which uphold contradictory values regarding the dignity of the human person that arise from their lack of connection to the objective moral grounding of the natural law.
- Our calling then as a people of life and for life is to promote a culture of life, which includes, constantly advocating for the right to life of the unborn, to do our best to limit the impact of current abortion legislation, ensure that information on options to give birth are available to pregnant mothers and that parents have practical support.
Introduction to the celebration of the Pilgrimage for Life Mass at Our Lady’s Basilica, Knock
We gather as a people of life and for life, believing that Jesus Christ reveals himself in every person, that each one of us is made in the image and likeness of God from the moment of our conception. We gather here in Knock, for our Pilgrimage of Life, the place where the Virgin Mary appeared some 146 years ago. Today, we reflect on the Word of God; on the Gospel of the Annunciation, on how we have been blessed by God from the beginning and affirmed in our calling in accord with God’s purpose.
Guided by the Word of God we reflect on Evangelium Vitae / The Gospel of Life issued by Pope Saint John Paul 11, thirty years ago and take account of our calling to be people of life and for life.
My name is Martin Hayes, Bishop of Kilmore and member of the Council for Life of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference. The Council for Life have organised this Pilgrimage for Life.
Homily delivered by Bishop Martin Hayes
In our Gospel of the Annunciation, God’s favour is bestowed upon Mary and upon us. Indeed, Mary is highly favoured. She is told by the Angel Gabriel, “the Lord is with you”. Mary had a vital role in God’s plan; she became the mother of Jesus who came among us as one of us. She did not ask why? Rather, she asked how can this come about? We give thanks for Mary’s generosity in responding to God, in being prepared to be a mother, to welcome new life and to be the Mother of Jesus.
Yes, Mary was chosen from the beginning, immaculately conceived, in accord with God’s plan of choosing us as the People of God (1st Rd. – Isaiah) from among all whom God created. In the Gospel of Life, we are reminded that we are of God’s creation, that human life is to be treasured, protected from conception as God chose to have his Son, Jesus born among us as one of us, sharing in our humanity.[1]
Each one is us is called in accord with God’s purpose (2nd Rd – Romans), chosen from the beginning by God, each of us a true image of his Son, Jesus. Imagine! God chose to have his Son, born in human form and so now we are of God and we must at the very least acknowledge the existence of God. In our Gospel of Life we hear, “By living “as if God did not exist”, man not only loses sight of the mystery of God, but also of the mystery of the world and the mystery of his own being.”[2] Jesus came that we could have life to the full(John 10:10)[3] and share in eternal life[4] in accord with Ecclesiastes 3:11, which states, “He has made everything beautiful in its time; also he has put eternity into man’s mind”. Therefore, we come to worship God[5] in the realisation of our true identity as creatures of God. Indeed, Pope Saint John Paul 11 emphasised, “All who commit themselves to following Christ are given the fullness of life: the divine image is restored, renewed and brought to perfection in them. God’s plan for human beings is this, that they should “be conformed to the image of his Son” (2nd Rd. -Rom 8:29).[6]
In being conscious of our creation in the image and likeness of God, we are called to see in each other the image of God. It is an invitation to be in solidarity with all of humanity. Pope Saint John Paul calls us to work together in being advocates for a culture of life – whether healthy and free of suffering or frail or infirmed.[7]
In accord with our message for last Sunday’s ‘Day for Life’, entitled Hope does not disappoint[8] we must realise that suffering is a reality that cannot be eliminated completely. Therefore, we must face the reality of suffering, illness, and the good news is that Jesus, in coming to be with us, has provided us with a model of enduring suffering. Indeed, Jesus gave up his life[9] in enduring suffering in the hope of new life. In meditating on the Cross of Jesus Christ[10] by which Jesus sheds light on the meaning of the life and death of every human being, we come to revere life, love it and foster it.[11]
This is especially relevant regarding the care of the elderly and those with terminal illness. The passing of the Terminally Ill Adults Assisted Dying Bill in the House of Commons yesterday is disappointing, albeit by a slim majority. It leaves many terminally ill people in England and Wales in a more vulnerable position and some feeling coerced into ending their lives prematurely. We value, protect and cherish life until its natural end. While we acknowledge the great advances in palliative care, we reject the false mercy of euthanasia (Saint Augustine) in favour of True “compassion“(which) leads to sharing another’s pain[12]. We recognise the anxiety of older people as a request for companionship[13] to which we are called to respond sustained by our Christian faith in the victory over death by Jesus Christ. In a few moments we will accompany you, our sick and entrust you to the healing of the Lord in the celebration of the Sacrament of Annointing of the Sick.
We are called as a people of life and for life to take account of all of life created by God. Pope Saint John Paul 11, in referring to the threats to human life, called attention to reckless tampering with the world’s ecological balance[14], was hopeful regarding growing attention being paid to the quality of life and ecology[15] and highlighted our specific responsibility towards the environment in which we live and for future generations[16]. These sentiments are echoed and amplified by Pope Francis in his encyclical letter Laudato Si’ on Care for our Common Home which publication celebrates its 10th anniversary this year.
Fundamental to the crisis that we find ourselves is a lack of recognition of God as our Creator of life, human and natural. It is evident in our society which no longer acknowledges the place of natural law, in particular, regarding, the right to human life as superseding all civil law, albeit decided in democracies by a majority vote. We must question the values of such democracies which uphold contradictory values regarding the dignity of the human person that arise from their lack of connection to the objective moral grounding of the natural law.[17] The challenge for us as people of life and for life is to urge and campaign for a rediscovery of moral values[18] and to call our civil leaders to change laws which do not respect the right to life, especially, those that allow the abortion of innocent unborn children. Any law contrary to natural law is an act of violence and a corruption of the lawaccording to Saint Thomas Aquinas[19]. It means that we have an obligation to oppose such laws and we must try to limit their application.[20]
Our calling then as a people of life and for life is to promote a culture of life, which includes, constantly advocating for the right to life of the unborn, to do our best to limit the impact of current abortion legislation, ensure that information on options to give birth are available to pregnant mothers and that parents have practical support. In addition, we must value the frail and elderly, oppose the introduction of measures to legalise euthanasia, urge support for those suffering with terminal illness and support the staff in medical facilities with conscientious objections to assisted dying measures or abortion procedures. In promoting a culture of life, we must also be supporting the efforts to control the misuse of legal drugs and the use of illegal drugs, promoting temperance regarding the use of alcohol, championing peaceful means of resolving conflict, advocating for the provision of adequate mental health services and caring for our Common Home in light of our interdependent interconnectedness with all other species of life.
A culture of life requires ongoing education of young people, to reestablish the link between love and sexuality, between humanity and nature, through interaction with academic institutions, our families, our parish faith communities and the communications media. A new initiative entitled ‘Life is always good’[21] from the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life based upon the wisdom of the Gospel of Life has been launched. It will help dioceses and parishes to defend and promote every human person’s life guided by the Council for Life of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference.
Undoubtedly, we are concerned about the increase in abortion statistics in Ireland. To mention actual figures takes away from the reality that the loss of one unborn innocent child is too much. In the spirit of Pope Saint John Paul 11 we reach out with compassion to those women who have had abortions assuring them of forgiveness and of their possible role in reflecting upon their experience. You can be among the most eloquent defenders of everyone’s right to life[22] according to Pope Saint John Paul 11 in the Gospel of Life.
We give thanks for our mission as a people of life and for life in promoting a culture of life. We are grateful that it is our mission to the whole world. We carry out our mission asking Our Lady, the Virgin, our Lady of Knock for her help in the spirit of her generous ‘yes’ to God on being asked to be the Mother of Jesus. She was open to God’s plan, to life, to being the Mother of Jesus, to the sufferings it entailed and she was a faithful disciple to the end, at the foot of the Cross. We too face challenging times in promoting life, in defending the right to life.
We are encouraged by Pope Leo’s special message for last Sunday’s Day for Life. He prayed that, “through your common witness to the God-given dignity of every person, without exception, and to the tender Christ-like accompaniment of the seriously ill, all in society will be encouraged to defend rather than undermine a civilisation founded on authentic love and genuine compassion.”[23]
Above all, a great prayer for life is urgently needed, a prayer which will rise up throughout the world – which was the great plea of Pope Saint John Paul 11. He stated, Jesus himself has shown us by his own example that prayer and fasting are the first and most effective weapons against the forces of evil (cf. Mt 4:1-11)[24]. That is our purpose here this afternoon, to pray that life be respected, cherished and protected from the moment of conception to its natural end. That conviction is confirmed, by Jesus coming among us, as one of us, and leaving his imprint on each one of us for a good purpose.
- Bishop Martin Hayes is Bishop of Kilmore and member of the Council for Life of the Bishops’ Conference